For Immediate Release

(Hong Kong and Mexico City – October 24, 2008) The theme of the 26th Congress of Business and Professional Women International (BPW International) is “The Power to Make a Difference” and recognizes women’s contributions through leadership, action and advocacy. Over 600 women executives from around the world are attending this 4-day Congress which starts Friday, October 24 and runs through Tuesday, Oct. 28 at the Gran Melia Reforma Hotel in Mexico City.

President Chonchanok Viravan said, “In this Congress, there are over 40 workshops with 100 distinguished speakers from the Mexican Government, major corporations, the United Nations, as well as BPW members from around the world who are experts in various fields. This Congress also launches the “Lena Madesin Phillips Award and Power to Make a Difference Awards.”

Among the international speakers at the Congress include:

• The former Vice President of Taiwan, H.E. Annette Lu;
• Hon. Patricia Espinosa Torres, Undersecretary of Labor, Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare
• Rocio Garcia Gaytan, President, National Institution of Women, Mexico
• Senator Maria Teresa Ortuño Gurza, Mexico
• Marielena Morera, President, Mexico United Against Violence Foundation
• Senior executives of Mastercard, Sonico, Merrill Lynch and more!
• Award winners from around the world for international social welfare projects

There are three tracks of workshops that BPW members and the public can attend:

Track I - Making a Difference through Leadership: Workshops in this track will address leadership development both at the individual and organization level such as creative marketing strategies, win-win negotiation skills, business incubation, conflict resolution strategy, performance evaluation, success from conquering defeat, talent development for women executives, etc.

Track II - Making a Difference through Action: Workshops in this track will address success stories and successful strategies to enable women to gain economic independence and advance their careers. This is based on work of BPW affiliates which have helped over 200,000 women to help themselves during 1996-2008. Some of the topics include: financing gender equality projects, skills training, micro-credit financing, mentoring, using e-Business, and communication technology (ICT) to enhance opportunities for women around the world.

Track III - Making a Difference through Advocacy: Workshops in this track will address emerging issues for women in the millennium. The below-captioned issues still need to be addressed in order for women to achieve their full professional career potential, and attain “equal participation of women and men in power and decision-making”. The issues are:

• The gender pay gap between men and women
• Work-life balance
• Violence against women
• International migration, aging population and the economic impact on women
• The “return on investment” (ROI) when women became top executives at corporations.

Over 100 of the nearly 600 international women executives coming to Mexico are speakers at the Congress, and among them are the global winners of the following BPW International awards:

• "Lena Madesin Phillips Award"
• "Power to Make a Difference through Advocacy Awards"
• "Power to Make a Difference through Action Awards"
• "Power to Make a Difference through Leadership Awards"

About BPW International

The International Federation of Business and Professional Women (also known as BPW International) was founded by Dr. Lena Madesin Phillips in 1930. BPW International was one of the first women's organizations to be granted Consultative Status with the United Nations in 1947.

Through its connection with the United Nations, BPW International has become one of the most influential international women's organisations in the world. BPW International has representatives at three UN Headquarters in New York, Geneva and Vienna, and at UN regional offices in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and West Asia.

BPW International has over 25,000 members in 90 member countries and is known for its career development, leadership development, legislative, educational, personal development and capacity-building projects in each country. In pursuit of the aim to "develop professional and leadership potentials for women at all levels", BPW Affiliates and members have helped over 200,000 women to help themselves during the past twelve years. www.bpw-international.org

For more information contact:

(Hong Kong) Anna J H Fang, Director, anna fang public relations
Tel: (852) 2535-9198 Email: info@annafangpr.com, annfangbpw@yahoo.com

(Mexico City, Mexico) Josefa Casas Velazquez, Director, Alterpraxis
Tel: (52-55) 5985-7820 / Mobile: (44-55) 2690-6114, e: josefa.casas@alterpraxis.com.mx

(Mexico City, Mexico) Yasmin Darwich, Chair, BPW International Public Relations Committee, Tel: (44 55) 2774-7828